The Approaches in Psychology
In Section C of the exam you are required to have detailed knowledge about the approaches.
Milgram
Social Approach
Pilliavin
Assumptions
Reicher
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All behaviour occurs in a social context, even when nobody else is physically present.
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A major influence on people’s behaviour, thought processes and emotions are other people and
the society that they have created
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An individual’s behaviour is effected by situational factors.
Strengths of the Social Approach
Social influences have been shown to have a
often stronger effect than dispositional
factors
The approach can provide explanation for a
great many phenomenon
The approach is useful in explaining
prejudice and discrimination
The approach often adopts scientific
methods to conduct research.
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Weaknesses of the Approach
Underestimates what people bring to a social
situation
Provides only superficial ‘snapshots’ of
behaviour and ignores their development over
time.
Studies are often using unrepresentative
samples
Often conducted in laboratories, therefore
lack ecological validity.
The Individual Differences Approach
Rosenhan
Assumptions
Thigpen &
Cleckley
Griffith
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Behaviour which deviates from the norm is considered abnormal.
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Aims to make generalisations about differences between people
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Focuses on the unique characteristics of the individual
Strength of studying Individuals Differences
 The approach allows us to understand
human behaviour and find causes for
psychological disorders. (T&C)
 The approach may help us to find causes
Weaknesses
 The studies in this field often have small
samples due to the rarity of the participants
and so may lack generalisability. (T&C)
 The studies may be susceptible to ethical
The Approaches in Psychology
for prejudice and discrimination and in turn
help to reduce it. (Rosenhan)
Loftus &
problems such as exploitation of the
participants. (Rosenhan)
Palmer
SavageRumbaugh
Cognitive Psychology
Baron-Cohen
Assumptions
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Behaviour can largely be explained in terms of how the mind operates

The mind works in a manner which is similar to a computer; inputting, storing and
retrieving data.
Strength of the Cognitive Approach
 The cognitive approach used rigorous
scientific methods to investigate behaviour
 Has many useful applications
 Has contributed to our understanding of
human phenomenon and has integrated well
with other approaches.
Sperry
Weaknesses
 Can be over simplistic, ignores other
complexities of human functioning compared
to that of a computer. Deterministic!
 Unrealistic – and studies often lack ecological
validity.
 Ignores emotion and freewill in humans.
Physiological Approach
Assumption
Maguire
Dement
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Behaviour and experience can be reduced to the functioning of physiological systems.
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All that is psychological is first physiological – that is since the mind appears to reside in the
brain , all thoughts, feelings and behaviours ultimately have a physical/biological cause.
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All behaviour has a genetic basis
Strengths of the Physiological Approach
Weaknesses
The Approaches in Psychology
 The approach is very scientific and is
grounded in hard science
 It provides substantial evidence for then
nature in the nature/nurture debate
 Helps us to understand behaviour which
would not be possible to test any other way.
E.g. dreaming.
Bandura
Samuel
 Reductionist – the approach explains all
behaviour as a reaction between chemical and
neurons. The approach ignores the
interaction of other elements.
 Can not explain how the mind and body
interact.
 Over simplistic –ignores the influence of the
environment and simplifies complex human
behaviour.
The Developmental Approach
Assumptions
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All behaviour is adulthood is effected by experiences in childhood.
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Development changes are a results of inherited factors (nature), which include events that
occur as a result of maturation, such as puberty.
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Lifetime experiences (nurture), which include interactions with other people.
Strengths of the developmental approach
 Allow us to understand the effects of
childhood,
 The area contributes to our understanding
of the nature and nurture debate.
 The approach allows us toe measure
behaviour over time
Freud
Weaknesses
 Due to the nature of the investigation the
studies can often be based on qualitative
data, which is susceptible to bias.
 May focus greatly on childhood and in turn be
deterministic
 The studies may take a long time to conduct
and require greater resources.
 May lack generalisability due to samples used
and may ignore historical and cultural
influences.
The Psychodynamic Approach
Assumptions
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Human development is a dynamic process (i.e. it is driven or motivated by certain forces)
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Early experience is very important for it shapes personality, relationships.
The Approaches in Psychology
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Different areas of the mind (ID,EGO,SUPEREGO) are in constant conflict, and understanding
these will allow us to understand behaviour
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The mind is split into 3 – the preconscious, unconscious and conscious. Dreams are the royal
road to the consciousness and it is the conflicts in the unconscious that manifest into
phobias and mental illness.
Strengths
 The approach allows us to recognise that childhood
is a critical period and that unconscious influences
can effect behaviour
 Adopts the idiographic, using one participant, you
gain lots of rich data.
 Data is qualitative – meaning a greater degree of
understanding and elaboration of human behaviour
Weaknesses
 No actual empirical evidence, no experiments
 Based largely on non-generalisable samples –
rich upper middle class, European.
 Deterministic – predicts behaviour, assumes
all will react and act in the same way.
 No way of testing whether the assumptions
are true.